APC to Inaugurate Committee on Oyegun’s Tenure Extension Plan

Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja
The national leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) will constitute a committee to review its decision to extend the tenure of its national leadership and other party executives at all levels.

The party had agreed at its last National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting to reconsider the one year tenure extension granted to the party executives after President Muhammadu Buhari had opposed it, citing likely constitutional breach.

As a face-saving measure, and in order to douse the tension raised by the rejection of its tenure extension plan by President Buhari, a reliable source told THISDAY yesterday that after due consultations, the National Chairman of APC, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, had assembled a small committee of legal experts to study the whole issue and make recommendations to the NEC of the party.

THISDAY gathered that baring any last minute change of plans, the members of the committee would be inaugurated by 12noon today at the party’s national headquarters in Abuja.
According to the source, the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) had met with some key party leaders  last week on how to set up a task committee to review the situation.

The decision by the party to grant one year extension as their tenure expires in June 13 had caused disagreement among stakeholders in the party before President Buhari  intervened last Tuesday, asking the party not to go ahead with the plan.

The president cited constitutional constraints and the need to avoid a destructive legal tussle which might hamper APC chances in the 2019 elections.

THISDAY gathered from a reliable source that the committee’s terms of reference would be to study the options before the party in view of the president’s advice and court action embarked upon by members.

The source said the party’s National Legal Adviser, Dr. Muiz Banire, would be in the team that would consider the pros and cons of the issues in contention and advise the NEC accordingly.
He said members of the committee would be drawn from outside the NWC to ensure their neutrality.